GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Slams Opponent for Leaving Senate Seat to Run for Governor

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The Republican primary is still months away but some of the candidates aren’t shying away from negative campaigning against their GOP opponents.

One of those candidates is State Senator Michael Williams. Williams, a Forsyth County Republican running on the Trump platform, sent out a press released Wednesday condemning former colleague and fellow candidate Hunter Hill for his departure from the state senate to run for Georgia’s highest office.

Williams said Hill ‘abandoned his seat’ which allowed the seat to go to Democrats. Hill’s seat, which he won in 2012, was previously held by Democrats but flipped when the Incumbent vacated the seat. Hill’s departure earlier this year led to a special election and now, two Democrat candidates will face off in the runoff to claim the seat.

In his press release, Williams said:

“Rather than following through with his commitment to serve out the remainder of his term, Hunter Hill abandoned his Senate seat so that he could continue receiving contributions from Atlanta donors while seeking higher office. His decision to put himself, and his political career, ahead of his constituents has harmed the conservative cause in Georgia. Because of this defeat, Georgia Republicans have lost the Senate Super Majority.

Williams blamed Hill’s voting record in the Senate, which somewhat resembled his wn, for the Democrats sweeping defeat of Republicans in the special election.

As of Thursday morning, Hill’s campaign had not issued a statement on the matter, but Hill is not alone in resigning his seat to run for higher office. The practice is common, but not required, and Forsyth state representative Geoff Duncan did the same thing to run for Lieutenant Governor this upcoming year as well.

Jessica Szilagyi is statewide contributor for All On Georgia and Market Manager for Southeast Georgia. Her main focus with All On Georgia is state and local politics as well as agriculture. She’s served as a policy analyst at the State Capitol and as a campaign manager in political races across the state.

She writes for GeorgiaPol.com and has two blogs of her own: ‘The Perspicacious Conservative’, a political blog, and ‘Hair Blowers to Lawn Mowers’, a blog on moving from Atlanta to rural Georgia. Jessica is also a contributor for Fox5 Atlanta’s ‘Like it Or Not.’